Bronson Pinchot on playing gay, and young Tom Cruise’s ‘homophobic comments’
”He was tense and made constant, constant unrelated homophobic comments, like, ‘You want some ice cream, in case there are no gay people there?’ I mean, his lingo was larded with the most… There was no basis for it. It was like, ‘It’s a nice day, I’m glad there are no gay people standing here.’ Very, very strange. Years and years later when people started to torment him with that, I used to think ‘God, that’s really fitting, because he tormented a lot of people as a 20-year-old.’ …
”So I went in, and they were so afraid that nobody would want to do the gay lawyer that they didn’t even show us the script. It was 1984! So they said, ‘Well, we just want somebody likeable, and here’s your line, say this line,” and I do the line, and they gave me the part. Then I saw the script, and it was like, now he’s the gay lawyer. And I said, “Fine, I could care less!’ … These organizations I had never heard of would come to me and say, “Would you host the gay and lesbian whatever?” and I was like, “Why? Because I’m playing this role?” And then it would be like wink, wink–it was very weird.”’
Actor Bronson Pinchot discussing his early career in Hollywood when he appeared with Tom Cruise in ”Risky Business,” and then a number of gay and/or foreign characters such as the lawyer on ”Sara,” Serge from the ”Beverly Hill Cop” and later in ”It’s My Party.” (AV Club)
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